PREFACE TO SECOND EDITION. 
The appearance of a second edition affords the author 
a pleasant opportunity of thanking the reading public, 
and the Press, for the kind way in which his endeavour 
to popularise the results of modern Palaeontology has been 
received. There seem to be fashions in all things — even 
in sciences ; and perhaps the wonderful advances we have 
witnessed of late years in the physical sciences on the one 
hand, and in biological sciences on the other, may have 
tended to throw Palaeontology somewhat into the shade. 
Let us hope that it will not remain there long. 
A large number of illustrations have been added for the 
present edition, besides additional matter here and there 
in the text. Three of the plates (viz. Plates II. X. XV.) 
have been redrawn. Plate II. shows the Ichthyosaurus as 
interpreted by the latest discovery from Wiirtemburg. 
Plate X. gives a somewhat different interpretation of the 
Stegosaurus, suggested by some remarks of Mr. Lydekker. 
A slight change will be noticed in Plate XV. (Brontops). 
Plate XVII. is a great improvement on the old drawing 
(Fig. 28, old edition) of the Megatherium skeleton. Plate 
XXIV., besides containing a valuable portrait of the late 
Sir Richard Owen, gives another drawing of the Dinornis 
skeleton. 
Aprils 1893. 
